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In today’s environment, with the Internet nipping at our feet, you have to have an intelligent method of managing traffic and leads.  Some people use Outlook, or a some type local based environment software while others are now flocking to a web based contact management software solution.

First is first, what is the best method?  A web based crm solution of course.  Here are the reasons why:

1. You can be anywhere, anytime and manage your database:  If your database resides on your computer, you will always need to be by your computer to extract your lead information.  Now, you can log into the system with Gotomypc for example, but there is another step to the process, not including cost.
2. Data Control: Assume you walk into your office and you find the blue screen of death on your monitor.  You shut it down and try to restart to find only find out your hard drive crashed.  You may say, “well, I also back it up” .  Well, we all know that even backing up your computer can take several days to come back up to speed.  So, a local software application residing on your computer is no longer a smart solution.   Time to go onto a cloud.
3. More and more companies are building web services to connect to web applications:  By maintaining a web based customer relationship solution, you can be poised to recieve multiple types of data feeds, from Twitter, to Google Analytics and more.

So, when looking for a quality contact managment software solution, you may want to consider a few important feature sets: This is a partial list but very important nonetheless:

1. Web based: As was previously described, if you are rethinking about lead management, lead incubation, lead conversion, go witha web based crm solution.
2. Webforms: Make sure the system allows you to make unlimited webforms that can be tagged with a “source” tag so reports can be made on where the lead has come from. Make sure the webform script is compatible with your site. If you also need a website, you may want to consider a reputable web design firm.
3. Autoresponders: Make sure the system has an autoresponder that goes out immediately the visitor fills out the webform on your website.
4. Marketing campaigns: Once a lead enters into your CRM, you will want to make sure you drip campaign your lead a weekly, monthly, 6 month, 1 year type of campaign.  It should offer the capability of unsubscribing from your email.  It should also allow you to create emails, letters and action steps.
5. Blogging: Make sure the CRM offers a way to help you blog onto your site.  A few CRM’s are now offering websites that have capabilities to have RSS feeds, Pinging blog platforms, etc.

In any case, make sure your website and CRM are hghly integrated with one another.  It’s no longer that a website and a CRM reside away from each other.  Today’s technology calls for full integration.